Rotary lumber-measure.



N0. 638,098. Patented Nov. 28,4899.

R. L. CLEVELAND. ROTARY LUMBER MEASURE.

(Application filed Aug. 5, 1898,) (Nq Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet I.

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l0. 638,098. Pantad Nov. 28, |899.

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RDTMIV LUIBEB IEASUBE.

Anumannha Aq. s. nos.; lo Indem 2 Sheen-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEFICE.

RIENZI L. CLEVELAND. on DEVILs LAKE, .NORTH DAKOTA'.

ROTARY LuMBsR-M EAsuRE.

sPEc'IFI'cATIoN. forming pm ef Letters Patent No. 638,098, dated November' 2s, 1899. Application iilled August 5, 1898. Serial No. 687,798. (No niodel.)

Toall whom t may concern..-

Be' it known thatI, RIENZI L. CLEVELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Devils Lake, inthe county of 'Ramsey and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumber Measures and Registers; and Ido hereby declarevthe following to be a full, clear` and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lumber measures and registers, being designed especially for ascertaining with accuracy and convenience the number oflinear feet in a given quantity of lumber.

The improved device is automatic in operation and comprises a series of registering.

wheels in connection with an actuating traction-wheel, whereby the -nuinber of feet is automatically registered, the result being observed through an opening in the casing at any time desired.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will more fullyappear in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a lumber measure and register embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims hereto appended.

Inl the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved measuring device. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same, taken from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the same,taken in line with tho shaft. Fig. 4 is a detail section illustrating the form of connection between the side plates and the cross-head of the handle. Fig. 5 is a transverse section showing the means whereby one registering-wheel actuates the adjoining wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the registering-wheels. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the adjoining and cooperating registering-wheel. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the shaft, a post, and one of the pinions and springs mounted thereon.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

1 designates a .drawn across die is provided lwith a cross-head 2, to the op` posite ends of which are connected the side plates 3 and 4, forming the frame in which the working parts of the device are mounted. The cross-head 2 is provided withv squared gudgeons 5 at its ends, and the side plates 3 and 4are correspondingly provided with openings 6, in which the gudgeons 5are received. Thegudgeon's 5 terminate fiush ith the outer surfaces of the plates 3 and 4,'and arranged outside of the openings 6 are binding plates or washers 7, secured by means of screws 8, which passthrough the washers into the gudf geons 5.- [he side plates 3 and 4 are in the main circular in form, and extending centrally thereis a shaft 9, which, while nqgnally stationary or fixed, is capable of being turned, fora purpose hereinafter set forth. The shaft 9 passes through both plates 3 and 4 and is screwthreaded to receive nuts 10,which bear against the outer surfaces of the plates 3 and 4. One of the side plates is provided with an inward extension or boss 11, through which the shaft 9 passes, the boss being for the purpose of spacing or offsetting the master-wheel, here.- inafter described, so as to bring the same into proper posit-ion to be engaged by the pinionshaft, hereinafter referred to. l

Mounted loosely upon the shaft 9 is a series of registering-wheels 12, 13, and 14, each of 'which is provided at one side with a hollow rim 15 and at the opposite side with a series of teu teeth 1G, the two portions of the Wheel being separated by a web 17, having an opening 18, through which the shaft 9 passes and by means of which the wheel is rotatably mounted thereon. While the construction just referred to is true with respect to the second and third registering-wheels 13 and 14, the first or initial and master wheel 12 is provided at one side with a master spurgearwheel 19, fast thereto. The rim 15 of the wheel12 is provided with a single internal tooth 20, which is of a width somewhat less than the width of the rim 15,'extending, in other words, from near the outside edge of the rim inward to the web 17, said tooth 'beover the surface to be measured. This han-k through and connecting the two side plates will be turned the distance of one toot-h.

ing hereinafter designated as the long tooth. At one side of said long tooth 2O a rec'ess or depression 2l is provided for the purpose of enabling the pinion hereinafter described to be actuated by the single long tooth, the teeth of the pinion at all other times riding againstthe inner edge of the rim 15, so as to prevent the untimely rotation of the pinion.

The adjacent registering-wheel 13 bears di- ,rectlyagainst the contiguous side ofthe 'wheel 12, the contacting side of the Wheel 13 be- 1ing provided with a series of ten teeth, as indicated at 16. 9,intermediate the wheels 12 and 13,is a crosshead or post 22. Said post is fastened to the shaft by means of a binding-screw 23 and lies within the rim of the Wheel 12. At one end the crosshead or post 22 is provided with a laterally projecting pin or axle 24, upon which is rotatably mounted a star-wheel 25, which meshes with the teeth 1G of the wheel 13 and also `at the proper time with the single long tooth 20 of the wheel 12. Thus at each complete revolution of the wheel 12 the tooth 20'actuates the pinion 25 and moves the wheel 13 the distance of one tooth, The post or cross-head 22 has attached to its opposite end a wire spring-pawl 26, the free end of which extends Vbeyond the end of the crosshead carrying the star-wheel 25, where it is bent back diametrically to form a shoulder 27, which when the shaft 9 is turned strikes against the long tooth 20 of the wheel l2 for the purpose of restoring the said `wheel 12 to its initial position when it is desired to set all of the registering-wheels at'their point of beginning. Each tooth of the pinion 25 is provided at 'its center with an offset or radial project-ion 2S, and these projections work in a groove formed in the inner surfaces of the registering-wheels for the purpose of steadying the pinion and causing it to operate smoothly. From the above description it will be seen that the star-wheel 25 is only actuated' at each complete revolution of the wh eel 12 and then a distance of only one tooth, causing` it in turn to actuate the wheel 13 a distance of one tooth. After the single long tooth has actuated the pinion two of the teeth of the pinion ride and bear against the inner edge of the rim 15, the object of which is to prevent the untirneiy rotation of the starwheel, the pinion being itself held against rotation until the long tooth again makes a complete revolution and comes in contact therewith. The relationship between the wheels 13 and 14 is exactly the same as that between the wheels 12 and 13, so that at each complete revolution of the wheel 13 the wheel 14 As many registeringwheels may be employed as may be required, and within the rim 15 of the last registering-wheel the star-wheel 25 is dispensed with and simply a cross-head or post 22 employed.. provided with a springpawl to actuate the long tooth 2t). From the Mounted fast upon the' shaft f foregoing description it will be seen that when the shaft 9 is turned the several spring-xpawls will successively strike against the long teeth of the registering-wheels and take up said wheels and rotate them until they are all rearranged in their initial positions. Each of the registering-wheels has represented on its outer surface numerals from O to 9, and these numerals are displayed through an observation-opening or glass-covered slotin a thin metallic casing s'ecu red to the cross-head and extending around the plates 3 and 4 in a manner readily understood.

Each of the side plates 3 and 4 is provided with a depending ear 3l, one ear having a bearing-opening 32 for a rotary pinion-shaft 33 and the other ear having a substantially vertical slot 34, by means ofwhich the shaft 33 may be moved toward and away from the gear 19. The shaft 33 is provided with a gang of pinions 35 of diierent sizes, each of which is designed to mesh with the wheel 19, said pinions'being divided or separated by means of circumferential flanges 36, which bear vagainst the ends of the teeth of the wheel 19 to prevent accidental shifting of the pinion in engagement therewith. Mounted in the slot 34 is an exteriorly-threaded sleeve 37, provided atits inner end with a head 38, which rides against the inner surface of the end plate and which receives the adjacent end of the shaft 33. Upon the outer threaded end of the sleeve 37 isa milled head or nut 38, by looseningwhich the sleeve 37 may be adjusted up and down in the slot 34 for throwing the pinion-shaft 33 away from the gear 10. The shaft 33 may then be adjusted longitudinally, so as to bring the desired pinion into engagement with the wheel 19, after which the nut 38 is tightened.

Mounted pivotally upon the shaft 9, outside of the casing, is a latch or keeper 39, one arm of which is slotted, as indicated at 40, to embrace tlle projecting end of the shaft 33. Said projecting end of the shaft is squared for the reception o'f a traction wheel or disk 41,having a squared central opening to cause it to actuate the shaft 33 when turned. The end of the latch or keeper 39 when in position rests outside of the wheel 41 and holds the wheel from slipping longitudinally in the shaft. At the same time the keeper 3f) may fer takfinge thewheel 41 and substituting another wheel of different size. The wheel 41 has its periphery toothed or serrated, so that it will engage positively the board, lumber,orother surface from which the device is moved, thereby effecting a positive rotation of the pinion-shaft and causing it to actuate the registering mechanism. The opposite end of the latch 39 is also slotted, as indicated at 42, to embrace a stop-pin 43, the object being to prevent any part of the keeper from coming in contact with the shaft 33 and creating frictional resistance to the rotation of said shaft. The nut 10 on the opposite i end of the shaft 9 is provided with an out- IDO IIO

caoes s gaged in a notch or recess 47, located between opposing shouldered projections 48, which are beveled in opposite directions for facilitating the manipulation of the locking device 46 and enabling the same to be snapped into the lo notch between the said shouldered projections. The spring-finger 46 is held in place by means of a milled nut or head 49, threaded upon the projected end of the shaft 9. By `retrieving the nut 49 and releasing the nut- 5 lockingd'evice the shaft 9 maybe turned for the purpose, as hereinabove stated, of restoring all of the registering-wheels to their initial positions, or, in other words, for the purpose of bringing all of the eiphers into posizo tion beneath the observation-opening in the casing.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will be apparent. The machine is drawn across the surface to be measc5 ured, thereby causing a rotation of the traction-Wheel and imparting motion through the pinion-shaft to the initial registeringwheel. After this registering-Wheel has made one revolution it aetuates the next succeeding 3o registering-wheel one point or tooth or one number represented upon its outer surface, and so on through the series of registeringwheels. At any time the operator may glance through the observation-opening in the easing and ascertain the number of feet measured off, it being understood that the parts are so proportioned, for instance, that each complete revolution of the iirst registeringwheel 12 will indicate a measurement of ten 4o feet, each revolution of the second wheel one hund red feet, and each revolution of the third wheel one thousand feet, and so on. It will also be seen that I have provided means for returning the several registering-wheels to their point of beginning. Also, provision is made for readily changing the traction-wheel and also for shifting the pinion-shaft and bringing any one of the different-sized pinions into mesh with the gear-wheel inthe ini- 50 tial registering-wheel, this being for the purpose of accommodating the device asa whole to different units of measurement.

It will of course be understood that l do i not desire to limit myself to the specific details of construction hereinabove set forth, but reserve to myself the right to change, modify, and vary the construction Within the scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters latent, is-

l. In a lumber measure and register, the combination of a frame for carrying registerlugs, a shaft-bearing adjustable in one of the lugs, a pinion-shaft mounted in the bearing, a plurality of pinions of different sizes fixed to the shaft, a traction-wheel adjustably fixed to said shaft, and registering mechanism eonsisting of a plurality of registering-wheels, one of which is provided with a single internal long tooth, and another with a series of internal teeth, a fixed shaft upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, a cross-head or post fast on said shaft, a star-wheel journaled on the post to be actuated by the single tooth and in turn to actuate a series of teeth on another wheel, and a spring-pawl connected to the cross-head designed to engage the single long tooth, substantially as described.

2. In a lumber measure and register having a frame or `carriage for registering mechl anism, a laterally-adjustable shaft carrying a plurality of pinions of varying sizes, and a traction-wheel removably connected with the pinion-shaft, the combination with said assemblage, of a registering device consisting of a plurality of registering-wheels, one of which is provided with a single internal long tooth, and another with a series of internal teeth, a fixed shaft upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, a cross-head or post fast on said shaft, a star-wheel journaled on the tooth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RIICNZI L. CLEVELAND.

'\Vitnesses: Y

CARR W. CLnvEmNn, l). Y. DUELL.

ing mechanism, having shaft-carrying ears or post to be actuated bythe single tooth and in ICO 

